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Chances are, you know someone who snores. Often, that individual becomes the butt of many jokes, as bedmates recall the sound of a runaway locomotive keeping them awake at night. But snoring can be a sign of a very serious medical condition known as sleep apnea, which is no laughing matter.

There are three types of "Apnea," a Greek word meaning, "without breath." The most common is Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), caused by a blockage of the patient"s airway. Nearly 14 million American suffer from OSA. During sleep, the soft tissue in the rear of the throat collapses and closes, resulting in a blockage that prevents normal breathing patterns. OSA is almost as common as adult diabetes.

While OSA usually affects men between the ages of 30 and 50, anyone can suffer from the disorder and people who smoke, drink alcohol or are obese are at a higher risk.

Central sleep apnea, in which the part of the brain that regulates breathing fails to function normally, and mixed apnea, a combination of the two, are much less common.

In all cases, people with untreated sleep apnea face serious health risks that extend far beyond a sleepless night.

While snoring may be the first sign of sleep apnea, there are a number of other symptoms caused by the disorder, including restlessness, disrupted breathing, gasping or gagging during sleep, poor memory and concentration, daytime headaches and sleepiness, sore throat, dry mouth, rapid weight gain and depression. Although a sleep apnea victim can awake more than 100 times in one night, they rarely remember such episodes, so it is important to recognize the daytime symptoms and rely on bed partners to monitor sleeping habits.

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Written by: Damon929
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